Okay folks/taxidermists,

Going to South Africa and Namibia in Sept 2010.
Obviously basic dip and pack has to be done in those respective countries. In the past I've had some full hides and backskins tanned there for simple display once back home. Thought the tanning quality was good. Tanning there saves me some $$ on cost since dried salted hide is heavier (in most cases) than tanned hides.
Questions are;
Should I stick with this plan, keep having tanning done in Africa?
Once I get stuff I want shoulder mounts off/maybe full mount in case of Nyala if I get one, how hard is it to ship from my home of Washington state to some other taxidermists I might want to use out of state ( J. Huffraker, Kruegrs, and some others etc come to mind cause I've seen their posts here on AR). And of course one needs to consider return shipment of a much bigger box/crate then, all of which add costs.
If I have a animal skinned for full mount, and then decide on shoulder mount, but want the backskin, is the tanning process so different that I can't use the backskin after its tanned for shoulder mount, OR would I be better off to have cape salted for shoulder mount and then just backskin portion tanned in Africa?
Also on potential trophy list is giraffe (and some of you may have read/reply posted about my question about caliber gun bullet weights I plan to use for this animal), pretty much just want cleaned skull and some tanned hide, and know this is one animal with big time hair slip problem potentials and would hate to see that happen. Can't seem to find much info on USA tanning prices. Same shipping question would apply here as simliar to my first question in this thread?
Slowly running out of trophy display room, so have to at least think about more things in regards to trophy displays and costs of such than on earlier hunts. Course there's no free lunch in life and a lot boils down to choices.

Thanks,
Willi

Willi, Keep in mind that having some things tanned in Africa and some things only dip and pack will delay your shipment quite a bit. I am not a fan of dip and pack skins sitting around any longer than they have to, potentially increasing the chance of a bug damage or a misplaced skin etc..

It will most likely be cheaper to have them tanned there and the quality is usually fine for rugs, backskins, flat skins, however,
I do not recommend having the tanning for mounting done in Africa and then have the mounts done here. The main reason being that the US taxidermist will not know exactly what they are dealing with regarding the tan. Much better to have the US taxidermist use the tannery of their choice. This way the taxidermist knows exactly what to expect regarding quality, stretch etc..

Decide on your Nyala after you shoot it. You will know better then if you want it mounted lifesized. If you are still unsure, have it skinned for a lifesized mount and dry tanned here. If you then decide to have a shoulder mount done your backskin will be soft and usable for pillows etc... A wet tanned backskin will dry out kind of hard.

Shipping hides and or finished mounts around does add to the cost but it is a relatively small cost to consider. Mounts can be crated and shipped anywhere. That being said, most people seem to choose the closest taxidermist to them that produces the quality and service they are looking for and that makes perfect sense.

If you are working with a tight budget, please research the costs associated with your giraffe before pulling the trigger!

The costs of tanning and shipping can add up to the cost of another hunt and that is no joke.

Overall there are a lot of options. I recommend two options below and choosing your taxidermist before you go.

1: The best option IMO is to have everything dip and packed and shipped to your taxidermist or to their tannery.

2: The next option would be to have all your rugs/flat hides/backskins/euro mounts done in Africa and everything else dip and pack (with the understanding that your shipment will be delayed many months).

Have a great trip.

As usual Grafton's response is spot on!


Best regards
Mike Ohlmann
Mike's Custom Taxidermy Inc.
4102 Cane Run Rd.
Louisville KY 40216
502-448-1309
Mike@mikescustomtaxidermy.com

quote:

Originally posted by madabula:
As usual Grafton's response is spot on!


Best regards
Mike Ohlmann
Mike's Custom Taxidermy Inc.
4102 Cane Run Rd.
Louisville KY 40216
502-448-1309
Mike@mikescustomtaxidermy.com

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X 4.. Great advice.......

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